Introduction
Teaching is not for everyone and my story, as with many others, didn’t commence at high school JROTC.”I decided to join the US Army in 1991 serving thru several conflicts until 2015. During my tenure in the US Army, I had the opportunity to recruit the best of the best under Army Recruiting Command for 14 years. That experience was the foundation of my interest on teaching while looking at a second military career. Success in life is ruled by how anyone’s use of discipline and with that earning a title, the responsibilities inherited are as important as when I was serving on active duty.
Why a career teaching military science?
Working as as a Military Instructor, Teaching are not into teaching for the money. You truly need to have dedication and want to be there to change lives and create better citizens for tomorrow. Its a reality that it is a big responsibility to be that someone that students can trust and want to learn from, making them not wanting to miss your class because they are so interested in learning from you and with you because your behavior and image can and will impact their lives. When you decide to become a teacher you need patience, sense of humor, honesty and learning to be very caring for your other teachers around you and children in your classroom who may not have any easy life and may not be able to come to school with new clothes or shoes for every new school year. Learning that not one student is alike and you need to take your time with the special ones for they will not learn as quickly as other students and need more one on one. You must be ready for long hours and many countless nights of grading and making classes fun and exciting for cadets that might want to learn more.
The reality is that teaching is can be exhausting; you will be for many hours (many weeks over 40) and only paid for the 40. Taking time from your friends and family just like when the military service is something that you will end up doing a lot in order accomplish what you need to for your classroom and many competitions cadets endure throughout the school year. Professional behavior is very important as students can see the anger and upset face an instructor might bring into the classroom. For that it is imperative that home life should stay at the door of that house because it hinders possibilities for teaching. Additionally, above all reasons in the world someone wants to embark on education journey, first that someone most be sure is doing it for all the right reasons. In order to make students love learning, and guide them to have the best education they can, a lot of time and effort must be put to work. Its a reality that we must be prepared to give more time to other students than you would others and this is because many students will not get the same. The JROTC program have regular high school students that are in pursue of leadership careers for their future where instructors turn students into individuals of high character.
Education
All instructors must be evaluated based on their experience and educational credentials. In some states, requirements differ and for the must part states require that public school teachers have bachelor’s degrees; however, college professors may also need an advanced, graduate degree (Latham, n.d.). In the state of Texas, the average salary for a teacher is according to the website salary.com, the average annual salary for school teachers was $55,270 in the Houston Metropolitan Area and the average annual salary for teachers in the Dallas Metropolitan Area was $54,232. In my scenario, to complete a Bachelor’s degree in order to become a teacher is thru a program called Troops to Teachers. You may wish to complete the degree and teacher certification together in a college of education at a Texas university or college (TTT, 2015). Under Troops to Teachers, eligible military personnel looking for a future in the education field in public schools where skills, knowledge and experience from the military service gets matched to fill shortages in classes, especially in math, science, special education and other critical subject areas (DODEA, n. d.).
I have learned with my peers at the school I teach that keep your open door communication there with other teachers or in my scenario other Army Instructors since the subjects are similar to some core classes with a military and leadership twist. Having a relationship with other teachers in your building will help so you can have many ideas and get help with the students you may struggle to help in your classroom.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, since I retired from the military, I was trying to do something to help build the future of our nation. Pursuing further education while in the military service and using it in conjunction with a new career education contribute to a service member’s growth potential and a successful learning environment for those who have the chance to see the qualities where as a teacher still utilize the principles of leadership which is provide purpose, direction and motivation to still serve our great nation and create better citizens for the future.
References
Panonni, A. (2014). 3 Things To Know About High School JROTC Programs. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2014/11/10/3-things-to-know-about-high-school-jrotc-programs
Latham, A. (n.d.). ROTC Instructor Qualifications. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from http://work.chron.com/rotc-instructor-qualifications-21991.html
Texas Troops to Teachers. (2015). Troops to Teachers. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from http://www.texastroopstoteachers.org/routes.html
Department of Defense Education Activity. (n.d.). Troops to Teachers . Retrieved September 01, 2017, from http://www.dodea.edu/Offices/HR/employment/troopsToTeachers.cfm